Grandpa as his coworker: Company president learned from the best role model

Saturday

Sep 8, 2012 at 12:01 AMSep 8, 2012 at 8:23 AM

So imagine the families who do work that closely — when your Grandpa is your co-worker, too. Zach Burns, president of Burns Tools in Fall River, has worked side by side with his father, grandfather, cousin and uncle since he was an 8-year-old boy cleaning toilets and washing floors.

Lynne Sullivan

Until this week, I never paid much attention to Grandparents Day. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for sure. But not Grandparents Day — and shame on me, because my grandparents were (and still are) a huge presence in my life.

But this week, as I planned the stories about some very special grandparents in our area, it got me thinking about my own Pepere, who died last year. In his prime, he ran Plante Jewelers in downtown Fall River (it has since moved to Swansea). I didn't follow in his footsteps, but I think Pepere helped foster my love of jewelry (then again, maybe that came naturally), and he was a role model in terms of treating customers — and people in general — with respect.

So imagine the families who do work that closely — when your Grandpa is your co-worker, too. Zach Burns, president of Burns Tools in Fall River, started working side-by-side with his grandfather, John "Marshall" Burns, when he was just 8 years old, cleaning toilets and washing floors.

Burns Tools was founded in 1934 by Zach's great-grandfather, J.J. Burns. The company’s “backbone,” Zach said, was in saw-sharpening, and his cousin, Russell Bodington, who now runs Burns Tools’ sharpening department, learned the techniques of the trade from his grandfather.

"I trained Russell from the word 'go,'" said Marshall. "He still could learn from me."

“He passed down techniques [that just aren’t taught] these days,” said Zach.

Marshall retired a few years ago but still enjoys “talking shop” with his grandson.
During a recent visit to the Fall River Jewish Home, Zach shared stories about "guys only" trips to Maine and about moving in with Marshall after his grandmother died.

"He saved my life — I didn't want to live anymore," said Marshall, tears welling up in his blue eyes.

But Zach — a college student at the time — said he didn't think twice about his decision. "I knew he needed me," he said.

Zach joined Burns Tools full-time after graduating from Roger Williams University and working for a bit in Boston. Why Boston? His father really wanted Zach to get his own experience out in the work world. “He thought it was important for me to bring a different perspective,” he explained.

And that he did — in spades. One of the first things Zach did when he came aboard was to create the company’s first e-commerce website. “My grandfather was amazed by us getting orders from California,” Zach said. “When I visit him, he still asks, ‘How’s that interweb?’"

"I'm some proud of him," said Marshall. "I think I learned more from him than he learned from me."

Nowadays, perhaps that's just what the younger generation can bring to the table — a knowledge of technology, social media and more — and pass that on to the older generation. “Probably the most growth has come from the website,” said Zach.

Still, Zach said the most important lesson he learned by working with his grandfather was in customer service. “Some of his best friends were his customers,” he said, adding that he tries to build similar relationships.

“The best part of the week for my grandfather was his route. I remember riding with him and just the reception he got — from the secretaries to the shop foremen — it showed the relationships he’d built,” said Zach. “He taught me to treat customers well and fairly, and never burn any bridges.”

Lynne Sullivan is news editor of the Herald News and a Somerset resident. “Behind the Scenes” takes a look at interesting people in the area whose stories have not (yet) been told. If you know someone like this, give Lynne a call at 508-676-2572 or email her at lsullivan@heraldnews.com.

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